Reviewed by PJ Ausdenmore
Publisher: Penguin
5 Stars

London, 1816

What happens when Lady Sarah Cole loses her heart to the dashing Marquis of Vane while trapped in a painful marriage?  That’s the dilemma facing the heroine of Wicked Little Game, a brilliantly written, powerfully emotional book from 2009 RITA-nominated author, Christine Wells.

“She lifted her chin with proud disdain.  She mustn’t reveal the slightest hint of weakness.  He’d show her no mercy if he sensed how susceptible she was, how fiercely she longed for him in the night.  She’d never acted on that yearning, never allowed Vane the slightest liberty, not even a chaste kiss on the cheek.  But the shame of lying in her husband’s bed while she ached for another man’s touch was slowly corroding her soul.”

When young Lady Sarah eloped with…

Reviewed by Gannon Carr
Grand Central Publishing
4.25 stars

In 1374 Scotland, seventeen-year-old Janet “Jenny” Easdale finds herself betrothed to a loathsome man who cares for nothing more than her title and estates.  She became Baroness Easdale of Easdale upon the death of her father, as he had no male heir to succeed him.  Her betrothed, Reid Douglas, is eager to become Baron of Easdale, but the title will not automatically come to him when he marries Jenny.  Only she has the right to decide when he will gain that title.  Jenny’s uncle, and guardian since the death of her father, betrothed her to Reid, who is wife’s youngest brother.  As far as they are concerned, marrying Reid to Jenny will provide him with a satisfactory income and a title; and he will…

Here is Entertainment Weekly’s list of the top 25 romantic movies for the last 25 years.  I’ve copied word for word their blurb of the movie and why they think it’s romantic.  I then added my own viewpoint.  What do you think?

25. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991)

Perhaps Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s Oscar-winning lyrics say it best: ”Tale as old as time/Song as old as rhyme/Beauty and the Beast.” Walt Disney turned animated films on their ears with this vibrant and swoony retelling of the timeless fairy tale about a pretty girl who shuns outward appearances in favor of inner substance (found within her brutish captor). Still the first, and only, animated film to be nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award.

Maria says:  Terrific soundtrack, beautiful animation, and a wonderful…

Harlequin is now courting the teen market.  Taking a page from the success of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight, they’ve created a new imprint called Harlequin Teen. The recent boom in YA novels particularly featuring a paranormal element can’t be denied, with books, movies and TV shows all moving to the number one slot on most lists. It’s likely Harlequin will do for teen romance what it’s done for adult romance, and ebooks  — and that will pretty much secure Harlequin in the top position financially in the romance genre.

Harlequin Teen’s initial roll out looks like this:

A Marie Claire article states that women want to read about sex. The article then goes on to detail a study of how woman “liked raunchy scenes in novels, and more than half described sex in books as ‘titillating’”. Odd thing is that at the end of the article it states the top 10 books women would take to a desert island, and based on that list below – I don’t see any raunchy sex scenes in the bunch.

Reviewed by: Kate Garrabrant
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: June 30
Rating: 3 stars


My Wicked Marquess is the first book in “The Inferno Club” series from Gaelen Foley. Max. St. Albans, Marquess of Rotherstone has returned to England after Napoleon has been defeated. Max is part of a top secret group called the Order of St. Michael. The Order is in a constant fight against the evil Promethean Council who want to take over Europe. These two groups have been after each other for hundreds of years. Max is now retired from the Order and has a new mission. He must find the perfect woman to marry and settle down with and begin to produce some heirs. He has been given a list of five suitable women from his solicitor. One candidate from the list,…